Signaling device



April 29, 1941. H. G. HENRY 2,239,676

SIGNALING DEVICE Filed June 12,- 1939 ATTORNEYS Patented Aprl- 29, 1941 -UNlTED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,239,876 SIGNALING nnvron Harold G. Henry, King City, Calif.

Application June 12, 1839, Serial No. 278,787

2 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for indicating when the pressure of motor vehicle tires and the like is below the proper operating point.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicient means for indicating when the air pressure in a tire is below the proper operating point.

Another object of my invention is to provide means of the character described whereby to I .,effect both an audible and visual signal when the pressure is below the proper operating point. A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which'is simple in construction, durable in use. efllcient in operation and economical in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description. appended claims and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention illustrating the latter in connected relation with a pneumatic tire.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of the connection between the valve casing and conduit.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit of the signal system.

In practicing my invention, as illustrated in the drawing, 1 provide a motor vehicle wheel having a hub 8 and equipped with a pneumatic tire having an inner tube I of ordinary construction. The hub 8 is mounted for rotation on the gudgeon of an axle housing 8 by means of roller bearing assemblies 8. Extending through the axle housing 8 is an axle II for rotation relative to said housing and said axle is fashioned on the outer end thereof with a head II. The rear face of the head abuts the outer end 8 of the hub as clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The hub 8 is formed with a pair of longitudinally extending air and conduit passages l2 and II respectively.

The rear end of the air passage l2 communicates with the inner tube I by means of a conduit [4. One end of the conduit i4 is connected to the hub for communication with the passage l2 by means of an adapter l8 while the opposite end of the conduit is connected to the end of the valve casing [8 of the inner tube by means of a.

19 extending therethrough and communicating with the passages l2 and I8 respectively. The

outer face of the head II has connected thereto, by means of bolts 28. a diaphragm assembly 2| comprising a pair of inner and outer plates 22 and 28 respectively.

The plates are fashioned on their'adjacent or opposed faces with registering recesses 24 and 28 respectively and the plate 22 is fashioned with a radially extending slot terminating at one end in a passage eifecting communication with the passage l8 and on the opposite end in a recess in which is mounted and insulated from said plate a contact member 28 centrally disposed in the recess 24. Interposed between the plate 22 and the head II is a gasket 21 to insure a tight fit therebetween. An insulated cable or wire 28 has one end connected to the contact member 28 and extends through the slot in the head. aperture I8 and passage l8 and outwardly through the hub adjacent the rear end of the latter. The opposite end of the wire 28, which extends outwardly through the hub, adjacent the rear end thereof is connected to a collector ring 28 mounted on the rear end of the hub and spaced from the latter by means of an insulating ring 88. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the wire 28 provides an electrical connection between the contact member 28 and the collector ring 28 and which is insulated with respect to the 'hub and the other partsassociated therewith.

Interposed between the inner and outer plates 22 and 28 is a disk-shaped metallic diaphragm 8| equipped on the rear face with a contact member 82 for engagement with the contact member 28 as hereinafter set forth. The outer plate 28 is provided'with a set screw 88 extending centrally therethrough and said set screw engages the front end of a coil spring 84.

The rear end of the coil spring 84 engages the front face of the diaphragm 8| and tends to urge the diaphragm towards the contact member 28. The diaphragm 8| serves as a partition between the recesses 24 and 28 of the plates 22 and 28 and forms a pressure chamber 88 within the recess 24 whereby air pressure from the inner tube I is maintained therein through the medium of the conduit i4 and passage l2. Obviously, the tension of the spring 84 may be adjusted by the set screw 88 to permit a predetermined amount of air pressure to maintain the contact members 82 and 28 in spaced relation through associated parts to one terminal of a battery as hereinafter set forth.

The hub I has attached thereto a brake drum n 38 provided in the front face with an aperture 31 through which the conduit It extends. The rear end of the brake drum is closed by a disk 38, the latter being fashioned with an inwardly disposed oflset section a fixed to a collar ll secured to the stationary axle housing I whereby the hub I and brake drum It rotate relative to the disk It and collar MI. The collar III has extending therethrough a sleeve ll oi! insulating material in which is encased a binding post 42.

The front end of the binding post 42 has connected thereto a contact arm 43, the outer end of which is provided with a contact member It for rotatable engagement with the collector ring 20. The rear end or the binding post has connected thereto, by means of a nut 45, one end of a wire II. The opposite end of the wire it is connected within a sisnal circuit hereinafter described and illustrated diagrammatically in Fisure 3 or the drawing.

The end of the conduit forming connection with the sleeve I1 is provided with a flared end or head 41, the latter being retained and loosely mounted within a recess in said sleeve by means 01' a nut ll threaded into said recess. The sleeve I1 is provided with a transversely extending pin 49 and with a threaded end threadedly connected to the threaded end of the valve casing II as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. when the sleeve I1 is threadedly connected to the valve casing It. the pin is serves to maintain "the valve stem It in open position thereby eirecting open communication between the tube I and e I2. It is to be understood that my invention is applicable to each wheel of a motor vehicle equipped with pneumatic tires and that when said wheels are so equipped a signal lamp BI is provided for each wheel and each having a terminal connected to the respective wires ll and with their other terminals connected together and to one terminal of a buzzer l2.

The opposite terminal of the buzzer is connected to one terminal of fa battery 13. The other terminal oi the battery B is grounded and forms a connection with the diaphragm 3! as heretofore described. Each of the wires ll have interposed therein a switch I! and likewise the wire connectin! the buzzer to the battery is provided with a switch N. Closing of any of the switches II together with the switch It will indicate whether the pressure in the respective inner tube is below a desired amount for the reason that when the pressure is below a desired amount the contact members I! and 26 will be engaged and the respective lamp II will be illuminated and the buzzer 52 sounded.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and emcient means whereby it may be determined whether the inner tube or a tire is deflated by means of both a visual and audible signal.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in advance forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claims,

What I claim is: 4

1. In combination with a hub formed with an air passage for communication with an inner tube andmounted for rotation on the gudgeon 01' an I axle housing having Journaled therein an axle rotatable with said hub and with said axle equipped with a contact member. a diaphragm casing fixed on said axle and formed with a chamber communicating with said e, a diaphragm mounted in said casing and provided with a contact member for engagement with said first mentioned contact member, said diaphragm being responsive to air pressure in said chamber to make and break contact between said contact members, and means carried by said casing for flexing said diaphragm to eflect engagement of said contact members upon lowering of said air pressure in said chamber.

2. In combination with a hub formed with an air passage for communication with an inner tube and mounted ior rotation on the gudgeon oi an axle housing having joumaied therein an axle rotatable with the said hub and with the said axle equipped with a contact member, a diaphragm casing fixed on said axle and formed with a chamber communicating with the said passage, adiaphragm mounted in the said casing and provided with a contact member for engagement with the said first-mentioned contact member, said diaphragm being responsive to air pressurein the chamber to make and break contact between the said contact members, a set screw adjustably carried by the said casing, a spring interposed between the set screw and the diaphragm for yieldingly flexing the latter so as to eii'ect engagement oi the complementary contacts upon the lowering of the air pressure in the said chamber.

HAROLD G. HENRY. 

